Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: Voyage of Invisible Radio Wonders

Strap in for a ride with the Solar Wind as we explore the subtle ways in which human activities have sculpted some of the most energetic structures in our Solar System besides the Sun: Earth’s & Jupiter’s radiation belts. Beyond Jupiter, we’ll discover how surfing and volcanoes cross paths to create these curious belts that cocoon our planets in an invisible radio glow. As we head into the greater wilderness of space, we’ll meet the first example of a radiation belt outside of our Solar System. Finally, we’ll find a sea of brilliant radio lighthouses illuminating the cosmic matter between galaxies as a map to the treasure that we seek: answers to questions like “where did we come from?” and “how did the universe begin?”

Speakers: Lordrick Kahinga & Melodie Kao